Laika’s first original animation in seven years has made a strong start at the box office. Wildwood earned $4.3 million on its opening Friday, including $1 million from Thursday previews, according to box-office tracking reported on October 24, 2026.
The Friday figure puts Wildwood ahead of several Laika predecessors on their opening days, including Missing Link at $1.6 million and Kubo and the Two Strings at $4.1 million, and close to Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. Tracking points to a three-day opening of $11-14 million, which would place it third for the weekend.
Audience and critical response has been exceptional. Wildwood earned an A CinemaScore, matching Kubo as Laika’s best, alongside a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98% audience score. Premium large formats delivered 15% of the weekend, with the West the strongest region at 32% against a 26% norm.
The film is distributed by Fathom, a smaller distributor, and its opening suggests positive word of mouth is helping it keep pace with earlier Laika films released by larger distributors.
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Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.